Slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright's father and ex-wife face off in court

May 14, 2014 - Sherra Robinson, ex-wife of murdered NBA star Lorenzen Wright, answers questions about her financial records during a hearing in Circut Court Wednesday morning. Robinson is in a battle with her former father-in-law Herb Wright about the disposition of the estate set up to take care of Lorenzen Wright's children. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

May 14, 2014 - Herb Wright, father of Lorenzen Wright, listens to testimony by Sherra Robinson, the murdered NBA star's ex-wife, in Circut Court Wednesday morning. Wright and Robinson are battling over the disposition of the estate set up to take care of Lorenzen Wright's children. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

May 14, 2014 - Sherra Robinson, ex-wife of murdered NBA star Lorenzen Wright, reads the bible before a hearing in Circut Court Wednesday morning. Robinson is in a battle with her former father-in-law Herb Wright concerning the disposition of the estate set up to take care of Lorenzen Wright's children. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

The ex-wife of murder victim Lorenzen Wright, a former NBA player from Memphis, grew increasingly agitated in court Wednesday during hours of scrutiny over how she has spent $1 million in life insurance money intended for their six children.

Attorney Ruby Wharton questioned why Sherra Robinson — who arrived in court wearing sunglasses, a black dress and black heels — wrote herself checks and paid taxes, insurance payments and credit-card bills from a trust set up in 2011 for the children, going through more than a million dollars.

The slain ball player's father, Herb Wright, filed a petition pending before Circuit Court Judge Karen Williams that seeks to remove his former daughter-in-law as trustee.

Robinson — now married to Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy Reginald Robinson — was often vague, giving estimates of expenses or saying she didn't recall details, or sometimes providing long explanations.

Robinson admitted that in February the trust's Wells Fargo bank account was down to $5 and a nickel. However, her attorney, Christopher Donovan, is arguing that she has more than $950,000 in real estate that belongs to the trust — including the family's Eads, Tennessee home and an upscale lake front home in Greers Ferry, Arkansas.

"The funds are for the children and their protection?" Wharton asked.

Robinson agreed.

Wharton continued, "They're not yours?"

Robinson cut her eyes and responded, "No, ma'am."

Among the checks Robinson wrote to herself, she said, two — for $8,000 and $30,000 — were for home repairs. She claimed she had to pay cash because her late ex-husband bounced so many checks that it damaged their credit.

She testified that, "Over $3 million was in debt before I received my first dime" from Lorenzen Wright's life insurance policy in 2011.

Under questioning by Wharton, Robinson admitted she isn't sure the children currently have health insurance and she hasn't set up college funds.

When asked if she was near bankruptcy, Robinson said she is supposed to meet with an attorney next week. Several times, Wharton asked her the total of her personal debt. Robinson started to answer, then stopped and said, "I just paused because of the disgusted look on Ms. Wharton's face."

The judge intervened, "Tempers are getting a little short."

Wharton said she wanted to note on the record, in response to Robinson's remark, "It's highly offensive and it's not true."

Robinson finally estimated that her debt ranges from $1.5 to $1.8 million. She also said she is the midst of a kitchen renovation at her home and is driving a new Cadillac. She bought an Escalade with the Wells Fargo account, but said she sold it because it was "a gas guzzler" and put that money back in the trust, though she didn't have documentation to show that she did. She said she replaced it with a V6 engine Cadillac.

As attorney for the late basketball player's father, Wharton accused Robinson of trying to maintain a lavish lifestyle she can no longer afford, such as spending $7,800 in money from the trust for a trip for her daughter, whom she said is a super model. She gave her teen-age son, Lorenzen Jr., a Lexus, explaining that he needed that and his own credit card since "he was the man of the house at that time," taking his siblings to get their haircuts and to the mall. She later sold the Lexus, but said her family currently has six vehicles.

Outside court, Wharton said Robinson should consider that her ex-husband "is no longer a basketball player. He's no longer alive." Wharton said the legal action is meant to protect the welfare of the five children who are still minors.

During a court break, Robinson smiled and complimented Wharton's shoes and tried to converse with her former father-in-law. Wright looked away. Outside court, he said, "Too much has gone on. You can't just show up and say, ‘Hey, hey.' That's a personality flaw."

He said Robinson has blocked him from visiting his grandchildren, whom he said he has only seen about four times in four years. Wright said he didn't want to speculate on who may be to blame for his son's 2010 murder, which remains unsolved. "Hopefully, the law will tell us what happened there," he said.

The case is scheduled to continue Thursday and could stretch into next week.